Decoy, especially trolling hook

ABSTRACT

A trolling decoy or lure comprising a body with a longitudinal recess open to one side of the body to receive a hook therein. The hook is held retracted in the recess by a setting pin releasably engaging a loop on the hook against the bias of a spring mounted on the body but is ejected outwardly from the recess by the spring when the setting pin is released from the hook loop upon the strike of a fish.

I United States Patent 1 [111 3,778,917 Peippo Dec. 18, 1973 DECOY,ESPECIALLY TROLLING HOOK Prima ExaminerAntonio F. Guida 761 tzElP,H"lt,Fld 1 rlven or ml elppo Java 8 m an Assistant ExaminerDaniel J,Leach l Flled! y 1972 Attorney-A. Donald Messenheimer [21] Appl. No.:254,378

[57] ABSTRACT [52] U S Cl 43/35 A trolling decoy or lure comprising abody with a lon- [511 h} .0 85/02 gitudinal recess p to one side of they to re [58] Fie'ld 5 37 42 O4 ceive a hook therein. The hook is heldretracted in the recess by a setting pin releasably engaging a loop onthe hook against the bias of a spring mounted on the [56] g grzf g gzbody but is ejected outwardly from the recess by the 0 spring when thesetting pin is released from the hook 3, 81,572 3/1963 Tomsello 43/35 ht k f f h l,588,690 6/1926 Babbitt 43/35 00p upon 8 S n e o a ls3,685,192 8/1972 8 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures Stibbard 43/4204 a bodycontaining a longitudinal recess for at least one hook provided with aspring, which when in a retracted position is situated in the recess andis ejected outwardly when the fish strikes.

Trolling hooks of the above type are known where a recess or hollowextends through the body along the vertical axial plane. Adouble-branched elastic loop is provided on a transverse axis fixed tothe front end of the recess with one or more fishing hooks attached atthe end of both branches. These branches extend crosswise against arelease piece member where the hooks enter into the body recess for thetrolling position. In order to release the hooks to their fish catchingposition, an angle lever having two legs is hinged at its corner pointto the upper part of the recess with one leg extending above the bodyand the other leg situated near the release piece member. On pressingthat leg of the angle lever which extends upward from the body indownward direction, the angle lever turns and its other leg releases thehooks from the release piece member so as to fly out from the body. Thecondition for the hooks becoming released to the catching position isthat when the fish strikes at the bait, the jaw of the fish will pressdown the extending leg of the angle lever. However, if the jaw of thefish does not hit just the mentioned extending leg, the hooks to not flyout and the fish will not get caught; Another disadvantage is that thehooks sometimes jump out needlessly no matter what presses against theprotruding leg of the angle lever.

In order to get the fishing hooks into their position inside thetrolling bait lure, one side of the body of the lure is normally made sothat it can be opened. The lure body is thus made of two halves heldtogether by a longitudinal hinge and provided with a locking means forholding the two halves in a closed position. A construction as describedabove, however, makes the trolling bait unsymmetrical with respect toits vertical axial plane, and increases at the same time themanufacturing costs of the bait.

The object of this invention is to eliminate the abovementioneddisadvantages by providing a novel decoy which can be manufactured fromeasily obtainable parts and with little difficulty.

The decoy according to the invention is dependable for catching fish,because releasing of the hook from the recess in the body occurs due tostretching of the line when the fish is striking at the bait.Furthermore, setting of the hook to its retracted position is very easyand fast to carry out.

Other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent from theclaims and from the following description when read in connection withthe appended drawings wherein:

HO. 1 is an elevation in partial section of the fish decoy according tothe invention showing the hook in its retracted position; and

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the bait lure of FIG. 1 showing the hookwhen it has been released.

The trolling bait or fish decoy of the present invention has a body 1 ofa suitable material such as wood with a narrow, elongated recess 2formed along its longitudinal vertical central plane. This recess 2opens downward and continues as a shallow curved groove 3 which extendsalong the vertical central plane to the fore end of the body, i.e., thatend where the head 4 of the decoy is located. In addition, alongitudinal base 5 extends from the head end 4 of the body 1 into theupper part of the recess 2, in which two annular guiding rings 6 fixedto the body are provided at spaced positions. However, these guidingrings 6 may be replaced by staples or the like. A channel 7 is formed inthe body 1 extending from its head end 4, which is situated below thebore 5 and ends up in the chamber 8 between the fore end of the body andthe recess 2. A guiding ring 9, staple or the like, is also fixed inchannel 7. A stop pin 19 extends across chamber 8. in order to catch thefish the trolling bait is furnished with a hook 10, while a loop 12 isfixed to the stem of the hook on the opposite side from its barb 11 fora purpose to be described below. The eye of the hook 10 is connectedpreferably to the end of a spring wire 13. The other end of spring wire13, as illustrated in the drawings, is slidably attached to the latchmember which may comprise rod 14. Rod 14 extends through the guidingring 9 in the channel 7, and its rear end, i.e., the end or tail facingthe rear end of the bait is formed with a forwardly directed hook l5situated in the chamber 8. The front end of the rod 14 is fixedlyattached to the setting pin 16. Setting pin 16 runs through the guidingrings 6 in the bore 5 with its rear end extending into the recess 2 toengage loop 12 on hook 10 and its front end remaining outside of thehead end 4 of the body. For trolling the bait, a fish line 17 isconnected to the forward end of the setting pin 16. The latch member rod14, its book 15, and the stop pin 19 form the holding device for keepingthe decoy attached to the fish line 17. In addition, one end of a platespring 18 is fixed inside of the body 1 with its free end bent upwardand reaching into the lower part of the recess 2.'

In order to bring the above described trolling hook according to theinvention into condition for casting, the spring wire 13 is placed inthe groove 3 and the hook 10 is pressed into the recess 2 against theforce of the plate spring 18. With the hook in this position the settingpin 16 is pushed rearward so that its rear end guided by the guidingrings 6 enters into the loop 12 fixed to the hook. Then, as illustratedin PK]. 1 the hook 10 stays in the recess 2 under tension of the platespring 18 and the spring wire 13 (provided the latter is a spring wire),while the end of the setting pin 16 bends against the loop 12 to suchposition, that the barb 11 does not reach outside of the body 1. Whenthe setting pin 16 is pushed rearward, the latch member rod 14 alsomoves rearward, and the bottom of its hook 15 moves rearward from thestop pin 19 as illustrated in FIG. 1.

When trolling with the bait according to the inven-' tion in the usualmanner, or when reeling it back after the cast and the fish is strikingat the bait, the line fish 17 is tensioned sufficiently to pull thesetting pin 16 forward, so that the end of setting pin 16 leaves theloop 12 of the hook 10. Due to the plate spring 18, and spring wire 13,the hook 10 is then ejected out from the recess 2 and exposed to thefish. At the same time as the setting pin 16 is pulling forward from theloop 12, the latch member rod 14 is moving forward until the bend of itshook 15 will rest against the stop pin 19 in the chamber 8, to hold thetrolling bait attached to the fish line 17.

The decoy according to the invention is suited for trolling andswivelling also in reeds, and in other such waters with possible twigsetc., because the fishing hook is hidden inside of the body until thefish is biting at the bait. However, nothing prevents using a trollingbait like this also as bait in bobbing.

The invention is not limited only to the embodiment described above, butcan be varied considerably as to details within the scope of theinvention. This is particularly true in regard to the construction ofthe holding device holding the decoy attached to the fish line.

I claim:

1. An improved fish decoy having a body with an elongated recess open toone side of the body and a longitudinal bore extending from the frontpart of the body into the recess, a setting pin attached to a fish lineand extending through the bore for slidable movement therein so that therear end of the setting pin may protrude into the recess, a fish hookadapted to be positioned within said elongated recess and having a shankportion provided with a loop adapted to fit over the rear end of thesetting pin when protruding into the recess, a spring member having oneend fixed to the decoy body and the other end urged against the hook andadapted to eject the hook out of the body when the setting pin isreleased from the hook loop, means for preventing the setting pin fromsliding forwardly out of the bore when the setting pin has released theloop, and a spring wire attached with one end of the hook and with theother end located at the forward end of the decoy body so that thespring wire is flexed to be biased along the decoy body surface when thehook is held in its retracted position but is free from the bias forcewhen the'hook is released.

2. The improved decoy of claim 1, in which the side of the body havingthe open recess is formed with a longitudinal groove extending from therecess to the front part of the body, and wherein the spring wire islocated in said longitudinal groove when the hook is held in itsretracted position.

3. The improved decoy of claim 2, in which the means for preventing thesetting pin from sliding out of the body comprises a pin secured to saidbody and a latch member fixedly attached to the setting pin and adaptedto engage said pin when the rear end of the setting pin slides into thebore releasing the hook.

4. The improved decoy of claim 3, wherein the body includes a secondlongitudinal bore extending from the front part of the body to anenlarged chamber within said body, wherein said body pin extendstransversely across said chamber, and wherein said latch membercomprises a rod having one end fixed to the front end of the setting pinand the other end having a hook portion, said hook portion being locatedin said chamber and adapted to engage the body pin when the hook isreleased.

5. The improved decoy of claim 4 wherein the other end of the springwire is slidably attached to the latch member rod.

6. The improved decoy of claim 1, in which the means for preventing thesetting pin from sliding out of the body comprises a pin secured to saidbody and a latch member fixedly attached to the setting pin and adaptedto engage said pin when the rear end of the setting pin slides into thebore releasing the hook.

7. The improved decoy of claim 6, wherein the body includes a secondlongitudinal bore extending from the front part of the body to anenlarged chamber within said body, wherein said body pin extendstransversely across said chamber, and wherein said latch membercomprises a rod having one end fixed to the front end of the setting pinand the other end having a hook portion, said hook portion being locatedin said chamber and adapted to engage the body pin when the hook isreleased.

8. The improved decoy of claim 7 wherein the other end of the springwire is slidably attached to the latch member rod.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE (JER'lIFlCATE OF CORRE ITION Patent No. 917Dated December 18, 1973 Inventor(s) EMIL PEIPPO It is certified thaterror appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

After:.

"[21] Appl. No. 254,378"

Insert:

--[30] Priority May 21, 1971 Finland 1410/71--- Signed and sealed this16th day, of April 1971+.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD PLFLETCHERJR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents FORM PC3-1050 ("M9, USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 i [1.5. GOVERNMIIQTHUNTING P IFICE Il U-Qa-Sll,

1. An improved fish decoy having a body with an elongated recess open toone side of the body and a longitudinal bore extending from the frontpart of the body into the recess, a setting pin attached to a fish lineand extending through the bore for slidable movement therein so that therear end of the setting pin may protrude into the recess, a fish hookadapted to be positioned within said elongated recess and having a shankportion provided with a loop adapted to fit over the rear end of thesetting pin when protruding into the recess, a spring member having oneend fixed to the decoy body and the other end urged against the hook andadapted to eject the hook out of the body when the setting pin isreleased from the hook loop, means for preventing the setting pin fromsliding forwardly out of the bore when the setting pin has released theloop, and a spring wire attached with one end of the hook and with theother end located at the forward end of the decoy body so that thespring wire is flexed to be biased along the decoy body surface when thehook is held in its retracted position but is free from the bias forcewhen the hook is released.
 2. The improved decoy of claim 1, in whichthe side of the body having the open recess is formed with alongitudinal groove extending from the recess to the front part of thebody, and wherein the spring wire is located in said longitudinal groovewhen the hook is held in its retracted position.
 3. The improved decoyof claim 2, in which the means for preventing the setting pin fromsliding out of the body comprises a pin secured to said body and a latchmember fixedly attached to the setting pin and adapted to engage saidpin when the rear end of the setting pin slides into the bore releasingthe hook.
 4. The improved decoy of claim 3, wherein the body includes asecond longitudinal bore extending from the front part of the body to anenlarged chamber within said body, wherein said body pin extendstransversely across said chamber, and wherein said latch membercomprises a rod having one end fixed to the front end of the setting pinand the other end having a hook portion, said hook portion being locatedin said chamber and adapted to engage the body pin when the hook isreleased.
 5. The improved decoy of claim 4 wherein the other end of thespring wire is slidably attached to the latch member rod.
 6. Theimproved decoy of claim 1, in which the means for preventing the settingpin from sliding out of the body comprises a pin secured to said bodyand a latch member fixedly attached to the setting pin and adapted toengage said pin when the rear end of the setting pin slides into thebore releasing the hook.
 7. The improved decoy of claim 6, wherein thebody includes a second longitudinal bore extending from the front partof the body to an enlarged chamber within said body, wherein said bodypin extends transversely across said chamber, and wherein said latchmember comprises a rod having one end fixed to the front end of thesetting pin and the other end having a hook portion, said hook portionbeing located in said chamber and adapted to engage the body pin whenthe hook is released.
 8. The improved decoy of claim 7 wherein the otherend of the spring wire is slidably attached to the latch member rod.